In a 290 to 131 vote, the House passed the Telework Improvement Act last Wednesday (July 14, 2010).  As often happens, the bad weather during last winter and the resulting inability to get to work, prompted Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) along with  Frank Wolf(R-VA) and Gerald Connolly(D-VA) to sponsor the bill, which aims to expand telework opportunities for federal workers.

A few representatives voiced concerns over the cost of expanding the federal telework program, but according to the Office of Personnel Management, the government lost $71 million worth of productivity each day it was closed during the blizzards last winter.  That loss was projected to be $100 million per day, but was reduced because 30% of federal workers in Washington, D.C. teleworked during that time.

The bill now moves on to the Senate. Let’s hope that the Senate has read all the research that indicated telecommuting increases productivity while decreases expenses.